Improvement in metallic burial-cases



- f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO MARTIN H. CRANE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO CRANE, BREED &

. OO., OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN METALLIC BURIAL-CASES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,443, dated Muy 5,1R63.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN H. CRANE, of Cincinnati, in the county ofHamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Metallic Burial-Cases; and I hereby declare that thefollowing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, formssuch afull, clear, and exact description of the same as will enableothers skilled in the art to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object, first, the portability of metallicburialcases, so that the sime may be compactly packed fortransportation, and thereby facilitate their general introduction. Tothis end the first part of my invention consists in the production, as anew article of manufacture, of a sectional metallic burialcase-that isto say, a case whose upper and lower shell, or either, are composed oftwo or more `parts which may be united for use or disunited fortransportation, at pleasure.

The object of the second part of my invention is to make the casting ofmetallic burialcases as light as possible consistently with the strengthrequisite, and otherwise to facilitate their manufacture', thereby tocheapen the product. To this end the second part of my inventionconsists in making metallic burialcases with the top, bottom, ends, andsides cast in separate pieces or sections and united at the angles byoverlapping flanges.

The third part of my invention has for its object the formation of aperfect and durable joint between the several sections, which either orboth the upper and lower shell of a metallic burial-case shall becomposed of. To this end the third part of my invention consists informing upon each section a flange arranged to lap over or under acorresponding section-flange in such manner as to admit of theinterposition of a cementing substance.

The fourth part of my invention has for its object the fastening of thecovering-lid or upper shell to the lower shell; also, the securingtogether the several sections of which either shell is composed by meansof a screw, or by any other fastening device, so as to afford a hold tothe same within the interior of the the lower-shell sections with lugs,or their equivalent, to receive the ends of the screws.

Metallic burial-cases as heretofore made of two parts-i. e., of an upperand lower shellpresent, as an article of manufacture and trade, thedisadvantage that they are voluminous, inclosing much empty space, whichrenders their storage and transportation so expensive as to offer aserious impediment to their general introduction. On the other hand, thecasting of so large a piece as the lower shell of a burial-case is adelicate operation, and necessitates that considerable thickness shouldbe given to the casting, the weight ot' which is one of the greatobjections so metallic burialcases.

My improved metallic burial-case,bein g composed of sections or partsjointed together, can be readily dismembered and compactl y packed fortransportation or storage, and may vbe shipped or stored atcomparatively little cost, while by casting them in sections the surfaceover` which the molten metal runs is so reduced that a very light,cheap, yet strong casting may be produced. Thus it will be seen that bymy improvement I am enabled to produce a metallic burial casewhich is ormay be made lighter and at less cost than any other heretofore in use.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown in Figure l a longitudinal, inFig. 2 a transverse, section on line A B, Fig. l, of my sectionalburial-case, and in Fig. 3 a detail view.

The case is composed of an Lipper and a lower shell, U and L, whosegeneral configuration may conform to those heretofore in use, or may beadapted to any other design or form that may be desirable. The lowershell is here shown as composed of separate plates or sections, thelines of division oi' which are the corners or angles formed by thebottom C, the ends D, and the sides E. These plates or sections areprovided along the divisioniine with iiangcs F F, so formed as tooverlap each other. In some cases I prefer to form a groove, t, in theanges, as shown, in those of the bottom plate, for the double purpose ofproperly conning the cementing substance used between the flanges and ofpreventing the lugs x cast with the corresponding iiange F in thesection in contiguity therewith, to form a gap between the two anges. Tothe upper edge on the inside of side pieces and ends I cast a series oflugs, G, preferably of a spherical or other rounded form. These arescrew-threaded, and receive the screws whereby the lid is fastened tothe cofn. The screws S are countersunk, so thatA their heads come ushwith the surface of the pieces, and into which :it is secured. If thecasting be so thin as to afford no depth to properly countersink thehead of the screws, I use washers or cast round disks in with the platein that part thereof which is to contain the heads of the screws.Otherwise the burial-case may be made in the usual manner. Thus a glassplate, P, may be inserted opposite the face part of the coffin, and aremovable protecting cover, R, may be screwed over it.

Having thus described my invention and the manner in which the same isor may be carried into effect, I wish to be understood as not conningmyself to the execution of de tails herein described, it being obviousthat they are susceptible of many modications without departure from theprinciple ot my invention; but

I do claim- 1. The production, as a new article of manufacture, of asectional metallic burial-casethat is to say, a case whose lower shell,or both upper and lower shells, is composed of two or more parts whichmay be united for use or disunited for transportation, at pleasure,substantially as set forth.

2. Makin g the top` bottom, ends, and sides cast in separate pieces orsections, united at the angles by overlapping 11a-ages, substantially asset forth.

3. Forming upon each section a flange arranged to lap over or under acorresponding,` section-ange in such a manner as to admit of theinterposition of a cementing substance, substantially as set forth.

4. Providing the anges of the lower-shell sections with lugs, or theirequivalent, to receive the ends of the screws, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

M. H. CRANE.

Witnesses:

J AMES UALHOUN, IsAAo C. MAsoN.

LLL

